Page 6 - Export and Trade

Message from the Minister for Trade and Export Growth

The importance of trade for New Zealand

It is a privilege to introduce the 2018 New Zealand Export concerns,particularlyaroundthegovernment’srightto
and Trade Handbook. regulate in the public interest.
Trade is essential for New Zealand’s prosperity and New 7KHFKDQJHVWKHJRYHUQPHQWVRXJKWDUHUHÀHFWHG LQ
Zealanders’ standard of living. the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the
Overseas markets provide New Zealand businesses 7UDQV 3DFL¿F 3DUWQHUVKLS &3733
accesstomore buyers,frontiertechnologiesandto new We have protected the right of future generations to
sourcesofcapital.Through trade, NewZealandersareable controlwhobuysourlandandfarms.
to harnesseconomiesofscale,haveastrongerincentiveto CPTPP gives New Zealand preferential access for the
innovate, and improve their productivity as a result. ¿UVW WLPH LQWR -DSDQ ± WKH ZRUOG¶V WKLUG ODUJHVW HFRQRP\
Trade helps create a greater number of higher-paying – as well as Canada, Mexico and Peru. But CPTPP also
sustainable jobs in New Zealand. promotes sustainable economic development across the
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NewZealanddoesnotcurrentlyproduce,forexample, to safeguarding labour and environmental standards. For
computers, cars or CT scanners. WKH¿UVWWLPHLQDQ\RI1HZ=HDODQG¶VWUDGHDJUHHPHQWV
We pay for these imports using the proceeds from the both of these areas will be legally enforceable.
goods and services we export. And the more productive
andprosperousNewZealand’sexportersare,thehigher The Government intends to keep pushing for better
thequalityandquantityofimportsweareableto accesstoglobalmarketssothatexporterscanmake
purchase. themostfromtheirefforts.Atthesametime,trade
agreements in themselves are not enough for New
However,recentyearshaveseenincreasingpublic Zealandtoachieve itsexportpotential.
concern about increasing concentrations of wealth and
multinational tax avoidance. This was evident from the Despitehavingarangeofveryhighqualityagreements
LQWHUHVW LQ WKH 7UDQV 3DFL¿F 3DUWQHUVKLS 733 $V D UHVXOW in place, New Zealand’s export performance has been
thenewgovernmentsoughtchangestotheTPPtoaddress underwhelming. The ratio of export earnings to GDP has

4 NZ Export & Trade Handbook 2018